Odnośniki
- Indeks
- Burroughs, Edgar Rice Venus 1 Lost on Venus
- Jasper Fforde Thursday Next 2 The Well of Lost Plots
- Fred Saberhagen Berserker 14 Berserker's Star
- Fred Saberhagen Berserker 00 Earth Descended
- Tunel strachu
- la deuda externa y el desguace
- Christie Agatha Tajemnica siedmiu zegarow
- 065. O'Neill Margaret To tylko pozory(1)
- Leclaire_Day_Maz_z_ogloszenia
- Higgins Jack Gniazdo zśÂa
- zanotowane.pl
- doc.pisz.pl
- pdf.pisz.pl
- shakyor.htw.pl
She relaxed a little, leaning back in her cushioned chair. He still had not
been able to think of any good reason for this attractive young girl to be
sitting alone in this chill place in the middle of the night. Unless it had
something to do with magic.
Meanwhile she went on: "And you have come to Triplicane to put up posters-tell
me, Maxim the Strong, have you been to visit the castle yet? Out on the
island?"
"Oh, I know where the castle is, ma'am. But, no, ma'am, I haven't been out
there yet. Not this trip."
"But you are going out there." It was an eager assumption.
Ben took the cue. "Yes, my lady, I expect so. We've always been welcome at
the castle in the past."
"True. True. My father"-and here the young lady's eyes blazed for an instant
with some inward fire-"always enjoyed your shows." This time the last word
held unveiled contempt. One of her small hands, resting on the table before
her, clenched itself into a white fist.
"Very true, my lady." Ben decided to risk dropping some of the peasant speech
and mannerisms. They had been natural to him at one time early in his life,
but he was no longer sure he could maintain them steadily.
At the same time, after hearing that "My father" he was wondering if this
could be the reclusive daughter of Honan-Fu. The evidence of wealth tended to
confirm the suspicion. If so, he supposed she might be expected to welcome
and help any enemy of the new regime. But Ben prudently withheld any
announcements along that line until he could be sure.
The lady gave no sign of noticing any alteration in his speech. "So you do
intend to go out to the castle? How?"
"I-don't know, precisely, ma'am. I was noticing that boats do seem hard to
come by in the town."
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"A boat can be arranged." Again she leaned forward, and this time lowered her
voice. "But you must take me with you. And we should go now. Tonight. At
once."
Ben opened his mouth, then closed it again.
His grand hostess, who Ben now thought must be even younger than Zoltan, stood
up with a graceful and decisive movement. "There is someone out there whom I
must see.
And-they don't call you Maxim the Strong for nothing, do they? How are you at
fighting, Maxim?"
"Fighting, ma'am? Can't say I care for it at all. But I can do it when I
must."
"Yes, you look like you can. There might be one or two people here at the
dock who wouldn't want us to take a boat. But you can deal with them, can't
you? Especially if I
can bring them to you one at a time, and unsuspecting." Her gaze ran
appraisingly over
Ben's shoulders and down his arms.
Ben was thinking furiously-or at least he was furiously trying to think,
despite a feeling that his tired brain was getting nowhere in the attempt.
"I-I-I'll do the best I
can, my lady, of course. But-"
"Excellent!" The young lady's eyes flashed again, appraising him. "Maxim the
Strong-yes, excellent. Yes, I am guarded, Maxim. But I'll have a gold piece
for you if you can row me out to the island at once. The boats are just
outside that gate back there." And with a motion of her head she indicated a
direction in the darkness.
In a moment she had left the arbor and the lantern light and was walking with
deliberate, regal speed in that direction. Ben hastened to follow, keeping a
couple of paces behind her in the darkness, his feet moving through well-kept
grass that was wet with the recent rain. Apparently the young lady had eyes
like a cat. Ben couldn't see much of anything for forty paces or so, but then
a high stone surface loomed ahead of them again, and presently they stood
facing a small closed wooden gate that pierced the outer wall of the manor
grounds.
The lady wasted no time. With word and gesture, she made Ben flatten himself
against the wall, where he would be within reach of the gate, yet almost out
of sight to anyone looking in. Then she rapped sharply on the wooden portal,
using the massive rings on her soft hand, and called in an imperious voice.
Presently a small grating high in the gate, something like the spy hole in a
prison cell, slid open, and a man's voice outside mumbled something.
"What do you think I want?" the lady shrilled. "I want you to open up this
gate, you fool! I cannot speak to you like this."
There was another mumble, sounding disgruntled. But a moment later there was
a rattling sound, as of bars being taken down. The gate opened and a guard, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]